The invention relates generally to credential readers of access control systems, and more particularly to readers for scanning an RFID (radio frequency identification) input, such as a user credential.
Much engineering effort has been expended to integrate multiple readers into a single housing. This effort is generally directed to using various techniques to multiplex one antenna to multiple technologies. This integration is generally driven by at least two factors, improved aesthetic and functional upgrade. Multiple read heads on or near a door or other access point may be ugly and confusing to the users. As reader technologies, modulation methods and cryptographic techniques improve, there may be a strong motivation to upgrade the credentials to improve the protection of the credential electronic indicium.
To date, efforts to integrate multiple technologies have not been very successful. One example is the attempted integration of two 125 KHz technologies: PSK (phase shift keying) and FSK (frequency shift keying). The device often took up to two seconds to read the presented credential and frequently failed to read the credential at all. With poor product performance, the product was withdrawn from the market.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an improved system, method and device for scanning a variety of RFID input, such as a variety of user credentials, that overcome drawbacks and inadequacies of known devices, methods and systems.